Tuesday, May 25, 2010

As you'll recall, the agency that overseas safety at offshore drilling facilities, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) (an agency within the US Department of Interior) was structured in such a way as to create a conflict of interests. In short, its funding came from the operations of the entities it was supposed to oversee from a safety perspective. If your budget comes from an entity's operations, what are the odds you'll shut it down, even if you're concerned about safety?

Federalist #37

It is a misfortune, inseparable from human affairs, that public measures are rarely investigated with that spirit of moderation which is essential to a just estimate of their real tendency to advance or obstruct the public good; and that this spirit is more apt to be diminished than promoted, by those occasions which require an unusual exercise of it.

About The People's Business

I'm a lawyer working in Washington, DC with a specialty in public policy issues. Previously, I spent over 10 years working on Capitol Hill, which left me fascinated about the process by which policy is made and executed. At the same time, I was put off by a lot of the grandstanding, mistruths and especially the nastiness of contemporary politics.
This blog is my small contribution to addressing these shortcomings. Its premise is that we have the politicians we deserve, and that voters could use some help by learning how politics really works and what they should really focus on when making an informed decision.
I can be reached at: the.peoples.business@gmail.com